Racket.



No. 644,877. Patented l'llar. 6,1900.

F. L. SLAZENGER.

R A GK E T.

(Applicaltion-flled Sept. 30, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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RACKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 1%. 644,877, dated March 6,190e, Application filed September 30, 1899. Serial No. 732,250. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it ma concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK LEGH SLAZEN- GER, a citizen of GreatBritain,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lawn-TennisRackets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements involved inthe construction of lawn-tennis and other rackets; and it consists of acertain novel arrangement of the strands forming the gutted web, the

preferred embodiment of which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

The prime object of my invention is to so reinforce the racket or thatportion thereof most generally brought into action in such a manner thatit will be materially strengthened,and thereby possess greaterpermanency and power than is now common.

A further object of my invention is to accomplish the reinforcement ofthe central or other portion of the web of a lawn-tennis or other racketwithout impairing the connection between the center piece and the frame,or, on the other hand, greatly strengthen the union between said parts.

In the accompanying drawings I shall illustrate in detail the preferredmethod or manner of disposing the end of the strand after it has passedthrough the frame the last time in the ordinary way of finishing theweb, whereby a reinforcement of the gutted web will be made, preferably,at its central part.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of my improvedracket, showing the central portion of the web reinforced. Fig. 2 is anedge view thereof.

In order to conveniently designate the features of my invention andtheir cooperating accessories, numerals will be employed, of which 1indicates the frame of alawn-tennis racket, 2 designating the handleportion thereof, which parts are constructed in the usual or anypreferred manner and are provided with the center piece 3, as is common.

In materializing my invention I form the usual gutted web, occupying aposition within the frame portion 1, substantially in the usual manner,and after the gutted web has been thus or otherwise constructed I do notfinish off or secure the ends of the strands, as is common, but leavethem of considerable length on each side of the frame, and after passingthem through the aperture 4 I extend them down along the outside of theframe and under the series of loops 5, as indicated by the numeral 6.The end of the strand on each side is then introduced into the lastaperture 7 and passed through the center piece 3, com ing out of thesame hole occupied by the central longitudinal strands 8 and thence upward to the top of the frame, (after being in terwoven with thetransverse strands,) when the free ends are secured by passing over toan adjacent hole, preferably to the longitudinal strand and through thesame hole occupied thereby. It will beunderstood that the extreme endsare then secured in the usual or any preferred manner. I prefer tocontinue the series of transverse strands 9 to a point near the upperand lower ends of the opening formed by the body 1 and to fill in theremaining portion with a series of strands 10, preferably of differentcolor, it being un= derstood that each end of the longitudinal strandsis to be wrapped by the strands 10, as is shown in Fig. 1, therebyadding to the rigidity and permanency of the web. By thus Wrapping theends of the'longitudinal strands I am enabled to bind the ends of theusual and the reinforcing strands so that said ends will lie parallelwith each other, leaving the remaining portion of said. strands as beingonly slightly separated though equidistant from each other, owing to theinterweaving of the transverse strands.

It will be understood that the strands 6 may be left of sufficientlength to be carried down and up again as many times as maybe deemednecessary, and thereby reinforce other than the central longitudinalstrands.

As a result of my improved method of stringing a racket I not onlyinsuregreater permanency and strength for the gutted web, but alsogreatlystrengthen and reinforce the gluejoints, insuring that the centerpiece will be more reliably held into cooperative relationship with theframe and handle portions.

It will be understood that while I have de scribed the preferred mannerof applying my invention the substantial equivalent thereof iscomprehended by me, and I therefore do not wish to be confined strictlyto the exact showing I have herein made.

WVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A lawn-tennis racket consisting of a frame and a web, the web havinga center reinforced by longitudinal strands which parallel the mainstrands, said reinforcing-strands extending from end to end of the frameand passing through the same whereby the ends of the reinforcing strandswill be securely held in place, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A lawn-tennis racket consisting of a frame and a center pieceprovided with apertures therein, a web composed of strands, thelastlongitudinal strand havingits ends passed out through an aperture inthe frame, thence downwardly along the frame and thence throughapertures in the frame and in the center piece and thence to itsdestination and suitable means to secure the free ends of the strands asspecified and for'the purpose set forth.

3. A lawn-tennis racket consisting of a frame and center piece havingperforations therein and a Web having the last strand passed through theperforations in the frame and center piece and back and forth forming areinforced center, all arranged as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK LEGH SLAZENGER.

Witnesses:

L. M. SAX-SMYTH, J ESSIE B. GARRETT.

